Vacuumizing and clipping system

ABSTRACT

Apparatus and method wherein a bagged product is clamped onto a nozzle, transported by the nozzle-clamping means for a period of time corresponding to the period necessary for complete vacuumization of the bag, the nozzle is partially withdrawn from the bag during transportation so that the bag&#39;&#39;s neck portion is empty, this portion of the bag is inserted into the throat of a clipper and serves to activate the clipper, activation of the clipper results in severing the bag&#39;&#39;s neck portion above the clipped area causing the bagged product to move from the apparatus.

United States Patent Roberts et al.

[54] VACUUMIZING AND CLIPPING SYSTEM [72] Inventors: John T. Roberts, Simpsonville; Philip L.

Reid, Greenville, both of SC.

[73] Assignee: W. R. Grace 8: Co., Duncan, SC.

[22] Filed: Feb. 9, 1970 21 Appl. No.: 9,868

[52] US. Cl ..53/ll2 B [51] lint. Cl .....B65b 31/04 [58] Field of Search ..53/1l2 1B [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,094,825 6/1963 Bracey et a1 ..53/1 12 B Mar. id, T972 3,401,499 9/1968 Jahnke ..53/1 12 B Primary Examiner-Travis S. McGehee AttorneyJohn J. Toney, William D. Lee, Jr. and Edward 1.

Hanson, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT Apparatus and method wherein a bagged product is clamped onto a nozzle, transported by the nozzle-clamping means for a period of time corresponding to the period necessary for complete vacuumization of the bag, the nozzle is partially withdrawn from the bag during transportation so that the bags neck portion is empty, this portion of the bag is inserted into the throat of a clipper and serves to activate the clipper, activation of the clipper results in severing the bags neck portion above the clipped area causing the bagged product to move from the apparatus.

6 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PMEWEU MAR I4 I972 SHEET 1 OF 5 FIG.

INVENTGR:

JOHN T. ROBERTS PHELIP LREHID PATENTEDMR I 4 I972 3, 648 W430 SHEET 2 [1F 5 FIG. 5

INVENTOR:

JOHN T. ROBERTS 76 77 PHILIP LREID PATENTEDHAR 14 m2 3, 648.430

sum 3 [1F 5 FIG. 4

mvsmom JOHN T. qoaen'rs PHILIP REID NEY PAIENTEDHAR 14 I972 3, 648,430

sum u 0F 5 FIG. 7 INVENTOR:

JOHN T. ROBERTS PHILIP L. REIIQ WWW 4 AT TOR N PATENTEDHAR 14 I972 SHEET 5 OF 5 FIG. 8A

INVENTOR:

JOHN T. ROBERTS mup L. REID knees VACUUMIZING AND CLIPPING SYSTEM My invention relates to packaging apparatus and methods for packaging and more particularly to the vacuumizing and closing of bags and like products.

It is an object of my invention to provide a new and improved vacuumizing apparatus.

It is another object of my invention to provide a new and improved vacuum nozzle.

It is a still further object of my invention to provide a new and improved clipping apparatus.

A further object of my invention is to provide such apparatus in a system whereby a bag may be fed into the operation vacuumized and closed while being transferred to an outlet position from the system.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a system that is economical to manufacture and economical to operate.

It is further object of this invention to provide such a system that lends itself to operation by unskilled operators and requires the least manual manipulation of the product commensurate with the expense of operation and cost of equipment.

By an aspect of our invention we have provided a vacuumizing apparatus having a simplified nozzle design.

The nozzle has an outer body in the form of a substantially tubular member. An axial passage passes through the tubular member and terminates at one end in a reduced snout portion which has the vacuumizing inlet at its outer end. A rod extends axially through the nozzle body and through its relative position with the body acts as a control member. An enlarged end on the rod adjacent to the upper end of the nozzle body and opposite the vacuumizing inlet is dimensioned to seal the nozzle body. A lug on the enlarged upper end of the rod is engaged in a slot in the sidewall of the nozzle body. The lug is smaller than the slot and the free movement of the lug between the top and bottom of the slot determines the fully opened and fully closed position of the nozzle. The upper end of the rod is held fast and the nozzle body is pulled down and clamped down to hold the nozzle open. An upward movement of the nozzle in the clamp raises the nozzle therein and maintains the nozzle on. The release of the clamp allows the vacuum to close the nozzle.

By another aspect of our invention a clipper is provided having reciprocal powering means including two camming sockets. A pair of pivotal closing members is provided each of which has one end engaged in a respective socket and the other end provided with a surface formed to engage the outer ends of the legs ofa clip for folding them toward one another upon a closing movement of the reciprocal powering means.

The clipper has a reciprocal unitary plate ram that has two camming sockets that are rounded cutout portions of a large cutout region therein. The rounded cutout regions face one another and a punch member integral with the plate projects into the large cutout region between the camming sockets. A pair of pivotal closing members pivoted intermediate their ends have rounded lobe ends engaged in a respective one of the sockets. The other ends of the pivotal members pivot toward and away from one another in response to the reciprocation of the plate member. These ends have facing surfaces with inwardly curving grooves formed therein that serve both as a direct crimping means against the legs of a clip engaged therein and also as an anvil means allowing the clip leg tips to slide therein to complete the closure of the clip upon the inward movement of the clip by the punch as the camming sockets close the pivoting means thereon. An inside shoulder on each of the pivotal closing members serves as a guide to the clips into position for crimping.

By still another aspect of our invention we have provided a vacuumizing and clipping apparatus. In a preferred form a moving slot means having a constant path of travel engages a nozzle and a second movable slot means mounted for movement relative to and with the first clamping means clamps the nozzle therebetween. The nozzle has a mounting means that controls the movement of the second clamping means relative to the first clamping means. The first clamping means carries the nozzle in its path of travel while a vacuum source evacuates an item carried thereby and a1 clipper positioned in the path of travel is activated by the movement of the carried item to seal the item.

Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent hereinafter and the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter that we regard as our invention. The invention however as to organization and method of operation together with other objects and advantages, can best be understood by referring to the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation in perspective view of the vacuumizing and closing system of my invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation in fragmentary side elevation view with parts broken away of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation in perspective view of the clamping means 47 of FIG. ll.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic representation in side elevation view of the nozzle 21 of FIG. 2 in both its down clamped position and its raised clamped position.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic representation in plan view of the cam of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic representation in fragmentary perspective view with parts broken away of the opening camming operation of arm 372 of FIGS. 1 and FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic representation in plan view with parts broken away of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 8A is a diagrammatic representation in plan view with parts broken away of a portion of the clipper of FIG. 7.

FIG. 8B is another diagrammatic representation in plan view with pans broken away of the clipper of FIG. 8A showing additional parts and the clipper in closed position.

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic representation in cross section of a portion of the clipper feed track of FIG. 88.

Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of my vacuumizing and closing device or apparatus is shown therein. The apparatus 10, includes a product on slide belt conveyor 11, a through slide belt conveyor 12, which as shown is also the produce out conveyor. The apparatus has a clipping section 13 in addition to its vacuumizing section, which constitutes most of the apparatus. Of course, the apparatus also has, as a portion of the vacuumizing section part, a transporting section. The same parts function cooperatively in this machine to form each of the sections and their functions.

The apparatus shown displays only four nozzles 20, 21, 22 and 23 for purposes of illustration, whereas in actual fact six are present on the specific machine in operation. The number can be more or less depending on the particular time sequence and number of operators who will operate the equipment and like considerations. For clarity of illustration only four are shown. Of course, the parts and operation are the same regardless of the number of nozzles employed.

The vacuumizing and closing device 10 has a stand 24 which is shown in partial view in FIG. 1 which supports the device. A rigid hollow tubular member 25 is securely fastened to the stand 24 and an enlarged rotating member 26 is journaled thereon for rotation by the chain drive means 27 which is engaged on sprocket 30. The chain is driven at a constant speed by the driving means 31 which is powered by an electric motor 32 through gearbox 33 and sprocket 34 which are mounted on the stand 24. The inside of member 25 is hollow and has a vacuum supplied from a source (not shown) through vacuum hose 35 to an evacuation chamber 36 which is connected via ports (not shown) in the tubular member 25 to the vacuum passage or channel 37 (FIG. 2). The vacuum channel 37 is connected to plenum chamber 40 which connects with hoses 41, 42, 43 and 44 which respectively supply the vacuum to the respective nozzles 21, 22, 23 and 24. The inside of the passage 37 may be cleaned out through opening 45 which is opened through trap 46.

Each nozzle 21, 22, 23 and 24 has a respective one of the mechanical nozzle clamps 47 shown in phantom lines in FIG. 1, only one of the mechanical nozzle clamps being shown. As may be seen in FIG. 3 the clamp 47 contains two linkage arms 50 and 51. Arm 51 has one end 52 pivotally secured to the bottom surface of the clamping plate 53 (FIGS. 1 and 3) and the other end 54 pivotally secured to the pivotal clamp head 55. Clamp arm 50 has one end 57 secured to the base 60 of the mounting arm 61. The other end 62 of the arm 50 is pivotally secured to the side of the pivotal clamping head 55. The arm 50 is rigidly mounted to the bracket 60 so that as the nozzle 21 is moved into the slot 63 (FIG. 1) of the clamping table 53 it will pull the forward edge of the pivotal clamping head 55 forward causing it to rotate on the arm 51 on which it is positioned. As the arm 50 continues to pull the slotted edge of the clamping member 55 forward it causes it to rotate on the arm 51 until it closes against the outside clamping surface 64 (FIG. 4) of nozzle 21. The opening 65 of the clamping head 55 is slightly larger than the circumference of the outer surface 64 to assure the easy entrance of the nozzle surface 64 into the clamping head 55. The clamp parts are maintained closed in their clamping position by the slight overcenter positioning of the arm 51 so that it in effect has a snap fit.

As also shown in FIG. 1 and illustrated in FIG. 4, the nozzle is clamped in its lower or down position and secured in this position by the clamping head 55 against the outside clamping region surface 64. The bag is normally in position and clamped between head 55 and surface 64. The bag is usually made of a somewhat resilient material so that it has some give to it. It is generally necessary that the bag more than fill the free region between the inside 65 of the closed clamp head 55 and the surface 64 and yet not be in such excess quantity that the clamping means will actually penetrate through the bag. The clamp holds the loaded bag in position and maintains the nozzle in the down position until it is moved by the lifting of the arm 61 by the outwardly movement of the follower wheel 66 which is connected directly and positively to arm 61. Arm 61 is pivoted at 67 in bracket 60 (FIG. 2). The cam 70 is shown in schematic layout in FIG. and it will be understood that the clipper section 13 is in cam section 5. The nozzle begins its upward movement in section 4 of the cam and is up in section 5. The nozzle lowers again in section 6 of the cam. The cam thereby reciprocates arm 61 between a raised and a lowered position. The high area of the cam pushes the wheel 66 (FIG. 1) outwardly and this directly lifts the outer end of the arm 61 and the nozzle carried thereon.

The nozzle is of a very simple and advantageous construction. In FIG. 4 it may be seen that the nozzle has a central pin member or rod valve control member 71 which is secured in an axial passage passing through a tubular housing member or outer housing body 72 which has a reduced nozzle snout por-' tion or tip 73a with a vacuumizing inlet opening into the passageway and a handgrip region 73 formed on its outer surface. The valve end 74 is pulled open initially by an operator who places the neck of a bag around the nozzle and extending well up on the handgrip, and by gripping the handgrip over the bag, pulls down, opening the nozzle by pulling the housing 72 away from tip inlet closing portion 74 that mates with the nozzle inlet, opening the vacuum passage 75 from the vacuum source inlet therethrough. The table 53 rotates continuously and the operator pushes the arm 61 into slot 63 while holding the handle down. The clamping means 47 closes overcenter and is thereby locked in position until unlocked by the engagement of projection 76'with a cam wheel 77 as shown in sectional view in FIG. 6. Cam 77 would be in quadrant 5 of cam 70 and depends from the lower surface thereof and acts substantially simultaneously with the clipping of the bags neck. As the projection passes over wheel 77 the arm 61 would pivot on bearing 80 (FIG. 2) moving arm 50, which is rigidly attached thereto, unlocking clamping means 47 and swinging it and arm 61 back to the position shown in FIG. 1. Slot 63 and the slot in the clamping means 47 serve as nozzle body engaging means engageable with the outside of the nozzle body.

As soon as surface 64 is released the vacuum lifts the housing 72 on the valve rod 71 shutting off the vacuum nozzle 21. As may be seen the only vacuum seal required between the parts that move is an O-ring 81 on O-ring seat 82 at the enlarged end or head 83 of the valve rod 71 within and mating with the inside dimension of the tubular members passageway. The housings movement is limited by pin or lug 84 in slot 85 in the sidewall of the nozzle body. The slot is adjacent to and opens to the sidewall of head 83 on which the lug is located as may be seen in FIG. 4. The lug is, of course, smaller than the slot and this provides free movement of the lug between the top and bottom of the slot determining the fully opened and fully closed position of the nozzle due to the full movement of the control member relative to the nozzle body. The vacuum source inlet opens into the passage between the enlarged end of the nozzle control member and the nozzle inlet.

The vacuum nozzle is mounted by hooking slot mounting member or means 86 connected outside of the nozzle body over shaft or pin rod 87 which is mounted in the arm 61. The relative position of positioning member 86 and the nozzle body engaging means to one another positions the control member and the nozzle body relative to one another between two positions to open and close the nozzle inlet. As may be seen in FIG. 4 there is sufficient space between shaft 87 and plate 90 and plate 91 to enable the nozzles removal simply by rotating the nozzle clockwise and slipping the slot 86 off of shaft 87. When the nozzle is positioned on shaft 87 and depends downwardly the plate 90 prevents its dislodgement from the shaft 87. The inlet 92 in the sleeve housing 72 is connected to the vacuum hose 41 for supplying the vacuum to the nozzle.

As the plate member 53 rotates it brings the clamped and raised nozzle to the clipper 13. The nozzle was raised by the action of cam 70 as the table or plate 53 rotated. The neck of the bag is not drawn upwardly with the nozzle, the nozzle slides in the bags neck, which bag neck is held stationary by the other elements in the total clamping means. The bags neck is thus empty where it extends just below plate 53 and it will be carried by the table s rotation into the restricted throat 93 of clipper 23 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7.

The clipper may be seen in enlarged view in operating sequence in FIGS. 8A and 8B. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the clip feed track. Clips are fed through feed track 94.

As the bags neck engages the back of the throat 93 of clipper 13 the clipper is pushed backward thereby. The clipper may be seen in FIG. 7 to pivot about rotating member 25 being mounted on an extension or arm 95 of collar 96, which collar rest on a support ring 97 (FIG. 2) secured to member 25 and rotating therewith. Collar 96 moves independently of member 26 on a bearing surface 100 and a thrust bearing surface 101. It is obvious that the clipper support and operation parts shown in FIGS. 2 and 7 have been entirely omitted from FIG. 1 for clarity of illustration. An extension or arm 102 extends from the opposite side of the collar from arm 95. A counterweight 112a is positioned at the outer end of arm 102 both to counter the weight of clipper l3 and provide the proper initial operating feature to the clippers operating means. The counterweight 102 may be seen to depend from the end of arm 102 and to be restrained by a helical spring 104 which maintains the clipper in its forward position ready for receipt of the neck of a bag. The helical spring 104 is secured to stand 24. As the counterweight 112 is rotated against the bias of the spring 104 it engages a switch arm 105 on switch 106. The depression of switch arm 105 activates solenoid valve 107 which is connected by airlines 110 to a source of compressed air supplying air to the air cylinder 111 to drive the plunger therein to close a clip about the neck of the bag as will be explained hereinafter. The switch handle 105 has sufficient override to allow a sufficient period of time for the clipping operation to be completed and the neck of the bag severed.

The clipper 13 has a piston rod (not shown) of air cylinder 111 directly connected to the reciprocal-powering means plate or ram 112 so that the ram is positively driven forward. The ram is mounted between two plates 113 and 114. Spacers 115 and 116 are positioned between plates 113 and 114 at their outer edges and form a channel therewith. Plates 113 and 114 are secured together in any convenient manner such as by screws 117. The ram 112 may be seen to have cut out configurations or rotation camming sockets 120 and 121 engaged for operating the pair of pivotal closing members or clip closing fingers 122 and 123 respectively which are pivoted intermediate their ends. The fingers and the punch cooperate to close the clip 124. The fingers 122 and 123 are mounted on pivot pins 125 and 126 respectively which are secured between the plates 113 and 114 by being trapped therebetween as are the fingers themselves. Each of the fingers 122 and 123 has a lobe, 130 and 131 respectively at one of their ends engaged in a respective camming rotation socket 120 and 121 which may be seen to rotate the fingers in and out or toward and away from one another as the ram plate 112 is moved forward and retracted. A clip 132 is fed into the path of the punch 124 by a sharp pulse of air from pulse jet 128. The clip is blown down the track 94 which is formed between ram plate 112 and plate 113 and as shown in cross section in FIG. 9. The inside edges 133 and 134 of fingers 122 and 123 are wide adjacent to plate 113 and diminish upwardly so that they form a camming surface at the end of the clip track, causing the clip to move up into the relatively rounded grooves 136 and 137 for operation. Of course, each camming surface 133 and 134 is matched with the slanted entry of the clip and of the offset of the grooves 136 and 137 which are formed in the fingers in the region where they pass each other in closing the clip. The generally inwardly curving grooves 136 and 137 may be seen to be formed on facing surfaces formed on the ends of the fingers opposite the lobes 130 and 131. These facing surfaces engage the outer ends ofthe legs of a clip and fold them toward one another upon a closing movement of the reciprocal powering means 112.

The punch comes in, in timed sequence with the clip and proceeds to finish feeding the clip until the outer tips 140 and 141 of the clips legs 142 and 143 engage securely in the closing channels 136 and 137. The tips of the clips legs 142 and 143 both slide along in the channels and at the same time are bent by reciprocation of the channels inwardly toward one another and by the shape of the channels. Thus the clip is formed to a very advantageous configuration such as is shown in FIG. 88. Clearance wells 144 and 145 allow the ram to move fully forward to close the fingers without engaging the intermediate regions 146 and 147 of the fingers which carry the camming surfaces 133 and 13. There is sufficient override in the engagement of the lobes 130 and 131 by the rotational camming sockets to allow a pin 150 (FIG. 7), which is mounted on ram 112, to engage a knife blade 151 riding in channel members 152 and 153 and push the blade through the constricted neck of a bag severing it and allowing the clipped and bagged product to fall to the conveyor 12 without further distorting the clip 132. Spring 149 returns blade 151 to its starting position upon retraction of the ram. To open the fingers 122 and 123 it is only necessary to retrack the ram 112 by releasing the switch handle 105 which reverses valve 107 driving the piston in the reverse direction powering the retraction ofthe ram 112.

The severing of the bags neck causes the bag to fall and, of course, then there is no longer anything pushing against the clipper 13 and therefore spring 104 draws counterweight 112a away from switch handle 105 returning the clipper to its original position. The release of switch arm 105 reverses valve 107 supplying air to the other side of the piston in cylinder 111 retracting ram 112.

Air lines 160 and 161 power the reciprocation of the plunger in cylinder 111 and air line 162 powers the pulsing jet 128 with a proper timing delay to feed clip 132 through the feed track 94. Electric cord 163 supplies power to the switch 106. The switch 106 is connected by wires 164 and 165 to the solenoid 107.

It may be seen from the foregoing discussion that the vacuumizing and closing device 10 not only vacuumized and closed the bag but conveyed the bag so prepared or, that is, while in preparation, to the opposite side of the device from the feed in of belt conveyor 11 and fed or deposited the prepared bag from the device on belt conveyor 12.

Turning now to a particular operation of the packaging system of our invention, in a preferred operation thereof bagged poultry products are vacuumized and the bags closed by clipping.

Thus, a bird 166 is delivered to the vacuumizing and clipping apparatus 10 by a conveyor 11. Conveyor 12 passes through the apparatus 10 and may be considered a part thereof in the broader sense. The conveyor 11 automatically transfers the bird to conveyor 12. At the vacuumizing and closing station the operator standing in position 167 (FIG. 1) lifts the bag upwardly and secures the mouth of the bag around the handle 73 (FIG. 4) of the nozzle 21. As the operator secures the mouth of the bag around the handle 73 he inserts the tip of the nozzle 74 into the birds open cavity at the same time. Of course, the bird is in the bag with its body cavity facing the mouth of the bag. The operator then pulls down on the nozzle and the continuously rotating plate member 53 moves to engage the nozzle 21 in slot 63 where the nozzle is clamped by clamping means 47. This holds the nozzle in the open position with the bag therearound. The plate 53 continues its rotation and as it rotates cam follower 66 reaches sector 5 where the cam 70 raising the nozzle to allow an empty length of bag between the bird and the nozzle tip 74. The neck of the bag between the top of the bird and the nozzle tip 74 is carried by the plate into the clippers throat 93 (FIG. 7). The clipper clips the neck of the bag and the bag is severed substantially simultaneously therewith. The bag falls down onto the belt 12 and is conveyed by belt 12 out of the vacuumizing closing apparatus for further processing or for boxing or storage and the like.

While in accordance with the patent statutes, we have described the best mode contemplated by us for carrying out our invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the present invention and we, therefore aim in the following claims to cover all such equivalent variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

We claim:

1. A vacuumizing apparatus comprising a nozzle body, a passage through said body, a vacuumizing inlet opening into said passage from outside said nozzle body, a vacuum source inlet communicating with said passage, a control member in said passage, an inlet closing portion on said control member mating with said vacuumizing inlet to close said vacuumizing inlet, a positioning member connected to said control member and connected outside of said nozzle body and operable to maintain said control member in a position relative to said nozzle body, a nozzle body engaging means engageable with the outside of said nozzle body, said positioning member and said nozzle body engaging means movable relative to one another to position said control member and said nozzle body relative to one another in at least two positions to open and close said vacuumizing inlet.

2. The vacuumizing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said nozzle body is a substantially tubular member, said passage is an axial passage passing through said tubular member, said vacuumizing inlet is an opening in a reduced snout portion at one end of said tubular member and at one end of said axial passage, said control member is a rod, an enlarged end on said rod positioned in said tube adjacent its end opposite said vacuumizing inlet and mating with the inside dimension of said passageway, a slot in the sidewall of said nozzle body adjacent to and opening to said enlarged end of said control member, a lug formed on said enlarged end and projects into said slot and smaller than said slot so that the free movement of said lug between the top and bottom of said slot will determine the fully opened and fully closed position of said nozzle due to the full movement of the control member relative to the nozzle body and said vacuum source inlet opening into said passage between said enlarged end of said nozzle control member and said vacuumizing inlet.

3. A vacuumizing apparatus comprising a nozzle having a clamping surface, a first moving slot means having a constant path of travel, means for moving said first slot means into clamping engagement with said nozzle, a second movable slot means mounted for movement relative to and with said first slot means, means for moving said second slot meansinto clamping engagement with said nozzle, a nozzle mounting means, said nozzle mounting means controlling the movement of said second movable slot means relative to said first slot means, said first slot means carrying said nozzle in its path of travel, and means to apply a vacuum to said nozzle while said clamped nozzle is in motion.

4. The vacuumizing apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said apparatus includes a continuously rotating carriage; said nozzle mounting means includes a plurality of brackets mounted on said carriage and a plurality of arms mounted one on each of said brackets; a plurality of said nozzles, each of said nozzles mounted on a respective one of said arms, a plate member extending from said carriage below said arms and carried by and rotated with said carriage; a plurality of said first moving slot means, each of said first slot means being a cutout in the outer margin of said plate member, said cutouts spaced at intervals along the outer margin of said plate member for receipt of said nozzles; a plurality of said second slot means, said second slot means mounted below said plate and including a clamping head having a slot therein, said means for moving said second slot means including a first arm pivotally connected at one end to said plate member and at its other end to said clamping head opposite said slot, another arm having one end rigidly connected to the bottom of said bracket and the other end pivotally connected to a forward edge of said clamping head whereby the movement of said vacuum nozzle into the slot in said plate member moves the arm pivotally connected to the forward edge of said clamping head toward said nozzle causing said clamping head to rotate on said arm and move toward said slot in said plate member engaging the slot in said clamping head on said outer clamping surface of said nozzle, clamping said nozzle in position in said two slots.

5. The vacuumizing apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said carriage has a tubular portion extending axially below said plate member; a collar mounted on and around said tubular portion and having rotational movement independent of said tubular portion; opposed arms extending from said collar in a plain generally parallel to the plain of said plate member; a clipper mounted at the outer end of one of said arms and positioned in the line of rotational travel of a bag depending from said nozzles; a counterweight mounted at the outer end of said other arm; a switch controlling said clipper blocking the rotational movement of said counter weight in one direction; a spring biasing said counterweight in the opposite direction which opposite direction is opposed to the direction of rotation of said carriage whereby said bag will push said clipper in the direction of movement of said carriage causing the counterweight to move against the bias of said spring engaging said switch and activating said clipper; means carried by said clipper for severing the bag whereby the bag will fall from engagement with the clipper releasing the clipper for counter rotation by said spring action on said counterweight.

6. The vacuumizing apparatus of claim 2 wherein said positioning member includes a hook that extends above the enlarged end of said control member, a hook engaging member, said hook engaging member engaging said hook and being reciprocal between a raised and a lowered position, the nozzle body engaging means is a clamp having an inside dimension greater than the outside dimension of said nozzle body where it engages about said nozzle body, said inside dimension greatness allowing for the gripping of a bag between said nozzle body and said clamp during operation for maintaining a vacuum closure about said bag during vacuumization thereof and said clamp engaging said nozzle body through the medium of the bag, a hand grip formed on the outer surface of said nozzle body for pulling said nozzle body downwardly relative to said control member to cause the separation of said inlet closing portion thereof from mating with the vacuumizing inlet to open said nozzle, said control member being held in position by said positioning member and said clamp having engaging movement relative to and about said nozzle body to maintain said nozzle body in position relative to said control member, the reciprocal movement of said hook engaging member to its raised position raising said control member and said nozzle housing with the vacuumizing inlet maintained open by the grip of said clamp resisting the upward movement of said nozzle housing, the subsequent release movement of said clamp relative to and from about said nozzle body allows the vacuum to raise the nozzle body to return said inlet closing portion of said control member to mating position with said vacuumizing inlet closing said vacuumizing inlet, and said enlarged end of said rod having an O-ring seat thereabout and an O-ring on said O-ring seat sealing vacuumtight the mating region of said enlarged end of said control member and said nozzle housing. 

1. A vacuumizing apparatus comprising a nozzle body, a passage through said body, a vacuumizing inlet opening into said passage from outside said nozzle body, a vacuum source inlet communicating with said passage, a control member in said passage, an inlet closing portion on said control member mating with said vacuumizing inlet to close said vacuumizing inlet, a positioning member connected to said control member and connected outside of said nozzle body and operable to maintain said control member in a position relative to said nozzle body, a nozzle body engaging means engageable with the outside of said nozzle body, said positioning member and said nozzle body engaging means movable relative to one another to position said control member and said nozzle body relative to one another in at least two positions to open and close said vacuumizing inlet.
 2. The vacuumizing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said nozzle body is a substantially tubular member, said passage is an axial passage passing through said tubular member, said vacuumizing inlet is an opening in a reduced snout portion at one end of said tubular member and at one end of said axial passage, said control member is a rod, an enlarged end on said rod positioned in said tube adjacent its end opposite said vacuumizing inlet and mating with the inside dimension of said passageway, a slot in the sidewall of said nozzle body adjacent to and opening to said enlarged end of said control member, a lug formed on said enlarged end and projects into said slot and smaller than said slot so that the free movement of said lug between the top and bottom of said slot will determine the fully opened and fully closed position of said nozzle due to the full movement of the control member relative to the nozzle body and said vacuum source inlet opening into said passage between said enlarged end of said nozzle control member and said vacuumizing inlet.
 3. A vacuumizing apparatus comprising a nozzle having a clamping surface, a first moving slot means having a constant path of travel, means for moving said first slot means into clamping engagement with said nozzle, a second movable slot means mounted for movement relative to and with said first slot means, means for moving said second slot means into clamping engagement with said nozzle, a nozzle mounting means, said nozzle mounting means controlling the movement of said second movable slot means relative to said first slot means, said first slot means carrying said nozzle in its path of travel, and means to apply a vacuum to said nozzle while said clamped nozzle is in motion.
 4. The vacuumizing apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said apparatus includes a continuously rotating carriage; said nozzle mounting means includes a plurality of brackets mounted on said carriage and a plurality of arms mounted one on each of said brackets; a plurality of said nozzles, each of said nozzles mounted on a respective one of said arms, a plate member extending from said carriage below said arms and carried by and rotated with said carriage; a plurality of said first moving slot means, each of said first slot means being a cutout in the outer margIn of said plate member, said cutouts spaced at intervals along the outer margin of said plate member for receipt of said nozzles; a plurality of said second slot means, said second slot means mounted below said plate and including a clamping head having a slot therein, said means for moving said second slot means including a first arm pivotally connected at one end to said plate member and at its other end to said clamping head opposite said slot, another arm having one end rigidly connected to the bottom of said bracket and the other end pivotally connected to a forward edge of said clamping head whereby the movement of said vacuum nozzle into the slot in said plate member moves the arm pivotally connected to the forward edge of said clamping head toward said nozzle causing said clamping head to rotate on said arm and move toward said slot in said plate member engaging the slot in said clamping head on said outer clamping surface of said nozzle, clamping said nozzle in position in said two slots.
 5. The vacuumizing apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said carriage has a tubular portion extending axially below said plate member; a collar mounted on and around said tubular portion and having rotational movement independent of said tubular portion; opposed arms extending from said collar in a plain generally parallel to the plain of said plate member; a clipper mounted at the outer end of one of said arms and positioned in the line of rotational travel of a bag depending from said nozzles; a counterweight mounted at the outer end of said other arm; a switch controlling said clipper blocking the rotational movement of said counter weight in one direction; a spring biasing said counterweight in the opposite direction which opposite direction is opposed to the direction of rotation of said carriage whereby said bag will push said clipper in the direction of movement of said carriage causing the counterweight to move against the bias of said spring engaging said switch and activating said clipper; means carried by said clipper for severing the bag whereby the bag will fall from engagement with the clipper releasing the clipper for counter rotation by said spring action on said counterweight.
 6. The vacuumizing apparatus of claim 2 wherein said positioning member includes a hook that extends above the enlarged end of said control member, a hook engaging member, said hook engaging member engaging said hook and being reciprocal between a raised and a lowered position, the nozzle body engaging means is a clamp having an inside dimension greater than the outside dimension of said nozzle body where it engages about said nozzle body, said inside dimension greatness allowing for the gripping of a bag between said nozzle body and said clamp during operation for maintaining a vacuum closure about said bag during vacuumization thereof and said clamp engaging said nozzle body through the medium of the bag, a hand grip formed on the outer surface of said nozzle body for pulling said nozzle body downwardly relative to said control member to cause the separation of said inlet closing portion thereof from mating with the vacuumizing inlet to open said nozzle, said control member being held in position by said positioning member and said clamp having engaging movement relative to and about said nozzle body to maintain said nozzle body in position relative to said control member, the reciprocal movement of said hook engaging member to its raised position raising said control member and said nozzle housing with the vacuumizing inlet maintained open by the grip of said clamp resisting the upward movement of said nozzle housing, the subsequent release movement of said clamp relative to and from about said nozzle body allows the vacuum to raise the nozzle body to return said inlet closing portion of said control member to mating position with said vacuumizing inlet closing said vacuumizing inlet, and said enlarged end of said rod having an O-ring seat thereabout and an O-ring on said O-ring seAt sealing vacuumtight the mating region of said enlarged end of said control member and said nozzle housing. 